Chuck Roast Taco Beef

jfarley

For years before I bought the Egg in July last year I made shredded beef taco meat in a Crock Pot. When Ralph's had USDA Chuck roasts on sale yesterday I bought a four pounder with the plan to use the slow cooker as always until it dawned on me that this may be a perfect Egg cook. After researching I thought I would try Clay Q's cooking method involving a dutch oven, but change it up using my ingredients. I rubbed it with 2 Tbs chile powder, cumin, and ground coriander. Also added about a tsp of cayenne pepper, garlic and onion powder. It went on indirect at 250 degrees, with hickory for smoke, until the desired temperature of 160 internal before transferring to the oven. At about four hours it stalled at 152 internal. While I'm new to low and slow, and experienced a pork shoulder stall for the first time after getting the Egg, I was not prepared for the length of this one - 3 hours. Guess I've got to learn that only the roast knows when it is ready to move on. After the internal temp started moving up I put the roast in the DO at 155 internal. Added 2/3 cup H2O and topped with one cup Ortega medium salsa, covered and let it go. Came back from an hour long walk with the wife and was surprised to find the internal at 205. Pulled it off the Egg when my Thermapen said it was at 208. I did not follow Clay's method of putting the pulled beef with liquid back on the Egg. Instead I pulled the beef apart, skimmed the fat from the liquid, simmered it down to reduce and added it back. It came out as good as expected. Moist, a good bark, good flavor. I'll do this one again but start earlier in anticipation of the stall.

Village Idiot

Looks like it'd make great sandwiches.  Also, with the leftovers, you can make taquitos.  I'm making them today from a leftover braised chuck roast.

Question:  If you cook with the DO lid on, how is cooking it on the Egg any better than the oven or stove?

jfarley

Good question on the lid. This is actually the first time I used the lid. As the technique was following Clay Q's Pulled Beef advice for the middle part of the cook I went along with it. The concept is to add a bit of liquid and keep it in to moisturize and tenderize. I also wanted the salsa to cook down a bit to add back to the beef after pulled. The process could just as easily have been done in a regular oven, but the Egg was already going at 250 so it was just easier. The roast had already spent 7 hours on indirect so it still had all the benefits of the bark, smoke, etc.

Griffin

Chuck roast does make some good tacos. Corn tortillas, some onions, cilantro and a bit of cojita cheese and you are ready to go. Great looking pulled beef.